Box Score GALESBURG, Illinois – The Prairie Fire pulled away in the second half and ended a long drought against Illinois College with a 68-58 Midwest Conference victory on Tuesday at Memorial Gym.
Knox's first MWC win of the season snapped a nine-game skid against the Blueboys that dated back to the teams' second meeting of the 2009-10 season.
The game was tight most of the way with five ties and 12 lead changes.
The Prairie Fire (2-6, 1-3 MWC) used a conventional 3-point play by sophomore
Robert Suntken (Naperville, IL, Naperville Central) for a 12-8 lead about 4 1/2 minutes into the contest. IC countered with an 8-0 run for its own four point lead, 16-12, with 13:08 remaining.
The Blueboys stretched their lead to 33-26 with 4:45 to go in the half when Knox responded with an 8-0 surge. Sophomore
Jalen Tucker (Nashville, TN, Pope John Paul II) and first-year
Caylab Herrera (Middletown, DE, Middletown) hit back-to-back 3-point baskets, and Suntken buried a shot to put the Prairie Fire back on top, 34-33, with 2:08 left.
First-year
Grant Billimack (Metamora, IL, Metamora) beat the halftime buzzer with a shot shortly after IC (1-5, 0-3 MWC) had tied the game with a free throw to give Knox a 36-34 edge at the intermission.
Illinois College kicked off the second half with a 12-4 run to grab a 46-40 lead with 16:31 to play. The Prairie Fire stormed back with 11 straight points over the next five minutes, capped by a jumper from Herrera, to press ahead 51-46.
The Blueboys countered with three straight baskets to regain a one point lead when sophomore
Deandre Weathersby (Chicago, IL, Kenwood Academy) hit a jumper that sparked a 9-0 surge and pushed Knox ahead 60-52 with 3:23 to go.
A 3-point bucket by IC with 1:53 left in the game trimmed the Prairie Fire lead to 62-58. Herrera came right back with a basket off a feed from Weathersby on the next possession and Knox held Illinois College scoreless the rest of the way.
The Prairie Fire shot 50 percent in the second half and 49 percent (27-of-55) overall while holding the Blueboys to 36 percent (24-of-66) from the floor. Knox, which held a 31-30 edge on the glass, was also effective at the free throw line by sinking 11-of-15 attempts. IC did not shoot a free throw in the second half after a 4-of-6 effort in the opening stanza.
The Prairie Fire forced 16 Illinois College turnovers that led to 23 points compared to 13 points for IC off of 15 Knox miscues. The Knox bench was productive as well, outscoring Illinois College's reserves 28-14.
Weathersby led three Prairie Fire players in double-figure scoring with 16 points. Herrera chipped in with 12 points while Suntken scored 11 and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Knox goes for a second straight win at Blackburn College in Carlinville, Ill. on December 16 at 7:00 p.m. The Beavers (2-5, 1-1 SLIAC) won their last game 57-56 against Iowa Wesleyan at home last Saturday. The Prairie Fire defeated Iowa Wesleyan 93-76 at Memorial Gym on November 25.
